Combination stripping and splitting pliers.



S. E. AARON.

COMBlNATION STRIPPING AND SPLITTING PLlERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, l9l6.

1,%2%,51 3o Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

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SOLOMON E. AARON, 013 BOSTON,

JHASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINATION STBIPPING AND SPLITTING PLIERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 10 1912.

Application filed. March 14, 1916. Serial No. 84,209.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SoLoMoN E. AARON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinationStripping and Splitting Pliers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to tools, and more especially to wire strippers;and the object of the same is to produce a pair of pliers such as usedby linemen and electricians who handle insulated wire, whether of single or plural strands. The present inven tion is an improvement over myprior Patent No. 1,096,983, dated May 19, 1914, to the extent that atwo-part guide is now used adjacent to the splitters and both the guideand splitters are adjustable to adapt the tool to insulated wire ofvarious sizes. Also the present invention contemplates improve ments inthe strippers, and adds devices which may be employed as a guide or asmeans for bending a wire. Details will be found. in the followingspecification, and reference is made to the drawings where- 1n Figure 1is a side view, Fig. 2 an edge view, and Fig. 3 an outer end view ofthis improved tool.

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of one member thereof with the removableparts omitted.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the active edges of the splitters in contact.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the element which constitutes the mainguide, and Fig. 7 a similar view of a slightly modified form thereof.

The pliers are made up of two members 1 and 2 recessed at 3 on theircontiguous faces at points where. the recesses engage each other so thatthese members cross each other and are pivoted at their point ofcrossing at 4, forward of which they are projected into jaws 5 and 6adapted to stand about parallel to each other when the activeedges ofthe attachments engage, all as best seen in Fig. 1. In rear of the pivot4 is a stop for limiting such closing movement. As here shown, the innerfaces of the handles of said members are provided with bosses 7 into oneof which is screwed a screw 8 having a milled head 9 for its adjustment,and by preference a lock nut 10 for holding it when adjusted, and thecontact of the outer end of this screw with the opposite boss limits theclosing of the members and therefore the closing of their jaws in amanner which will be clear.

The jaws are provided on one side face with notches or recesses 11 inwhich are seated cutters 12 held in place by screws 13, and the activeedges 14 of these cutters come together when the tip of the screw 9abuts against the boss and the stop is closed as described above. Thisattachment is obviously for the purpose of cutting off the wire whenstripped of its insulation.

The outer end of each jaw is beveled inward as shown at in Fig. 4 andtapped with a screw hole as indicated, and lying across this end is astripper 21 removably held in place by means of screw 22. The inneredges of these strippers are beveled off as at from the pivot 4, andtheir active edges close together on the line 24 when the stop is closedas above described. As seen in Fig. 3, said edges are cut out with threecrescent shaped notches 25, 26, and 27 at points which will registerwith each other when the stripper blades are closed together, and thenotches 27 are disposed in an extension or overhang 28 where theseblades project beyond the sides of the jaws 5 and 6. This is for thepurpose of permitting the electrician to tap in and strip the insulationfrom a piece of wire between two points where it is fastened, andobviously the stretch of wire so stripped will lie alongside the plierswhich are moved longitudinally of the wire in the act of stripping. Theholes produced by the other notches and 26 may be of different size asshown, but they lie within the contour of the jaws 5 and 6 as seen inFig. 3, and these are useful for stripping an insulated wire at its endas well understood. The stop (which comprises the adjusting screw 8 andthe boss co-acting with it) is useful for limiting the movement of thejaws toward each other, and may he set so that the co-acting notches inthe stripper blades stand a little farther apart than seen in Fig. 3. Aswell known ..to those familiar with this work, it is not desirable tocut or scratch the wire while stripping the insulation therefrom. Theelectrician will therefore first set the 23 on that face which is remotestop properly for the size of the wire itself, then open the jaws andpass them over the insulated wire, then close the jaws as far as thestop will permit and thus cut through the insulation, then rotate thetool axially so as to cut the insulation all the way around, and finallydraw the tool along the wire to strip off the insulation. Thedisposition of the bevel 23 on the outer side of the stripper blades andthe inclination of their inner faces therefore has an advantage whichwill now be apparent. The former brings the active edges 24 toward thefront in the line of movement when stripping, and said inclinationcauses the insulation to be deflected away from the wire in case itshould be cut or buckled rather than slipped off the wire as is usuallydone.

The outer edges of the jaws are provided with notches or rabbets 30 asseen in Fig. 4, also tapped with screw holes at.

points which will not intersect those in the bevels 20, and in theserabbets lie the flat shanks 31 of a pair of splitter blades, said shanksbeing slotted as at 32 for the reception of screws 33 whereby thesplitter blades are rendered adjustable. The shanks are carried outwardand given a right angular bend as seen at 34 in Fig. 3, beyond whichthey are turned inward as seen at 35 in Fig. 5, and their active edges36 meet each other when the stop is closed. These edges may be beveledon both sides as seen in Fig. 3, and their ends are rounded as seen inFig. 5. The splitter is useful, as well known to those familiar withthis work, for splitting the insulation which surrounds the individualwire insulation of a twin-wire cable, and the adjustment at 32 and 33 isobviously for the purpose of permitting the active edges of thesesplitter blades to be set at a greater distance from the side of thetool asseen in Fig. 2, as will be necessary if the cable is larger.

It is often desired to split the cable without injuring the individualinsulation on the wires thereln, and in order that this may besuccessfully accomplished I provide a guide whose open or active end isof substantially U-shape as best seen in Figs. 6 and 7. The U--shapedportion is designated by the numeral 45 in these views and in Figs. 2and 3, and laterally it is of a width sufficient to loosely receive thetwo-strand cable, whereas longitudinally its dimension is a matter ofadjustment. In the outer edge of each jaw is cut a notch 40 as seen inFig. 4, tapped for the reception of a screw, and lying in this notch isa shank 41 (see Fig. 2) having a slot 42 for the reception of a screw 43whereby the shank may be adjusted like the splitter. As seenin Fig. 6,this shank is given a double bend to form a shoulder 44, beyond which itis bent into U-form to constitute the guide 45, and beyond that in turnit is extended into the other member of this guide. The guide is thencut at the point 46 at the center of its bend, thus dividing it into twomembers which meet and form the complete U-shaped guide when the stop isclosed as above described. But when the tool is opened, these membersseparate at the point 46 the same as the active edges 36 of thesplitters separate, and the cable may then be passed into the open guideand be tween the splitters, ready for the action of the latter thereon.Therefore the splitter and its guide are useful either at the end of astretch of cable, or for tapping in at an intermediate point. If thecable should be larger than as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, itbecomes necessary to loosen the screws 33 and 43 and set both thesplitters and the guides a little farther outward, but in the adjustedposition shown in the drawings they are adapted for the ordinarytwo-wire cable. The U-shaped guide broadly numbered 45 in Fig. 7, is inall respects the same as the one described excepting that the shoulders44 are omitted. This makes its side arms straight, and their shanks mayhave to be secured by screws to the inner instead of the outer edges ofthe two jaws, as need hardly be illustrated as it is quite obvious. Suchconstruction might require that the screws (which would be theequivalents of those numbered 43 in Fig. 2) be set into holes tapped alittle nearer the side faces of the jawsfso that a screw driver couldreach them when the pliers were opened to their widest extent. I prefer,however, to use the shoulders shown in Fig. 6, and to have the slots andscrews on the outer edges as above described.

The guide above described is located adjacent the plier blades andrather remote from the pivot 4, and it might be called the main guidebecause I may sometimes provide another guide. The latter, as seen inFigs. 1 and 2, consists of a pair of pins 50 located preferablyadjacentto the pivot, either forward or in rear of it, but spacedastride a line midway between the jaws and handles, so that the cableextending along side this face of the tool through the splitters and themain guide, can be passed between these pins which will then serve as asecondary guide. In addition, these pins may also be used for bendingthe free or stripped end of a wire, as often is desirable in order tomake a loop or eye such as is to be passed over a binding post orengaged by a screw.

Another function and advantage arises from the angular disposition ofthe stripper blades 21 and the exact position of their bevels 23 andwhich, although not illustrated herein, will be clear to electriciansand linemen. This is that they may be used for crushing the insulation,and especially the outer coating thereof, when a wire is to be stripped.At this time the wire stands in a line across the front end of the jaws5 and 6 at right angles to their length, and parallel with the activeedges 24:. The strippers are then separated slightly and the heavilyinsulated wire passed between them, and then by closing the strippersonto the same their sharp edges 24 cut into the insulation while theirberels 23 cause them to travel away from the wire itself. This trick ofthe trade is often employed where the outer insulation is quite heavyand needs to be removed or at least loosened before the process ofstripping takes place.

What I claim is:

1. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, the outer edges of whose jaws are provided with transversenotches, and an adjustable stop between the handles of the pliers; of apair of splitter blades whose shanks are mounted in two of said notchesand whose active edges meet alongside the jaws when said stop is closed,and a pair of guide members whose shanks are mounted in the othernotches and whoseends also meet when said stop is closed.

2. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and an adjustable stop between their handles; of a pair ofsplitter blades whose shanks are se cured to the outer edges of the jawsand whose inner ends are bent over one side of the same with theiractive edges contacting when said stop is closed, and a U-shaped guideout through its bend into two members also meeting when said stop isclosed, the shank of each member being secured to the outer edge of onejaw and its body carried over the side thereof.

3. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and an adjustable stop between their handles; of a pair ofsplitter blades secured to the jaws and bent over to one side of thesame with their active edges contacting when said stop is closed, and aU-shaped guide out through its bend into two members adapted to coactwhen said stop is closed, the shank of each member being secured to onejaw and its body extending into the bend of said U.

4. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and an adjustable stop between their handles; of a pair ofsplitter blades whose shanks are secured to the outer edges of the jawsand whose inner ends are bent over one side of the same with theiractive edges contacting when said stop is closed, and a U-shaped guideout through its bend into two, members also meeting when said stop isclosed, the shank of each member being secured to the outer edge of onejaw and given a double bend to produce a shoulder extending over theside of the jaw, and its body extending from such shoulder into the bendof said U.

In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair of pliers,and adjustable means for limiting the closing movement of the jaws; of apair of right angular blades whose coacting edges stand along one sideof the pliers, a U-shaped guide out through its bend into two coactingmembers also standing along one side of the pliers, and means forpermitting adjustment of the shanks of said blades and memberstransversely of the jaws.

6. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and adjustable means for limiting the closing movement of thejaws; of a pair of right angular splitter blades whose cutting edgesstand along one side of the jaws and whose shanks are passed over theouter edges thereof and slotted, screws passing through the slots intothe jaws, a U-shaped guide standing adjacent to said blades and cutthrough its bend into two members, the shank of each member passing overthe edge of the jaw and slotted, and a screw passing through said slotinto the jaw.

7. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and a pair of splitter blades carried by the outer edges of thejaws with their active edges contacting alongside the same; of a mainguide made in two members respectively secured to the jaws adjacent tosaid splitters, and a secondary guide in line with the main guide andconsisting of two spaced pins projecting from one of the members of thepliers.

8. In a tool of the class described, the combination with a pair ofpliers, and a pair of splitter blades carried by the jaws thereof withtheir active edges contacting alongside the same; of a main guide madein two members also carried by said jaws between the splitters and theplier-pivot and adapted to open when the jaws open, and a secondaryguide in line with the main guide and on the opposite side of said pivottherefrom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SOLOMON E. AARON.

.Vitnesses N. L. OoLLAMEn, JOHN L. FLETCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of atents Washington, D. G.

